More than 3,000 residents have been displaced and over 400 homes affected after the River Dayi overflowed its banks following days of heavy rainfall in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region, with local authorities warning the situation remains critical as floodwaters continue to rise despite the cessation of rains in the area.
The worst-hit community is Zongo, where more than half of the neighbourhood has been submerged, forcing residents to flee their homes as floodwaters spread across affected areas. Several other communities situated along the River Dayi have also been impacted, with the floodwaters disrupting homes, businesses, and livelihoods across the municipality.
Displaced residents have been moved to temporary shelters, including classrooms, while authorities scramble to secure more suitable accommodation. The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed the capacity of the Municipal Assembly and other local authorities, prompting urgent calls for assistance from individuals, organisations, and the national government.
MP Calls for Support
Speaking on Channel One TV on Monday, September 28, the Member of Parliament for Hohoe, Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo, made an emotional appeal for urgent support for affected residents. “It’s overwhelming. The MP and the MCE alone cannot, in fact, we are not able to. We are calling for support,” he said.
The MP disclosed that the flooding followed heavy rainfall that caused the River Dayi to overflow, affecting several communities along the river, including Zongo, where more than half of the community has been submerged. He also revealed that water was reportedly flowing into the area from Togo, where the River Dayi originates, further complicating the emergency response. The River Dayi is a transboundary waterway that flows from Togo into Ghana, making flood management particularly challenging as upstream conditions in Togo directly impact downstream communities in the Hohoe Municipality.
Mr Tsekpo commended the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and security agencies for their role in evacuating residents from vulnerable areas and helping to prevent loss of lives. He said the situation remained fluid, with water levels continuing to rise even after the heavy rainfall had stopped in Hohoe, making sustained emergency assistance necessary as authorities work to protect affected communities.
Infrastructure Damage and Education Disruption
The flooding has caused significant damage to critical infrastructure. A bridge serving as the only link between one affected community and Hohoe was washed away, preventing students from accessing school and disrupting economic activity. The MP noted that the flooding has disrupted education and commerce in the affected areas, compounding the hardship faced by residents.
The Municipal Chief Executive, together with the Municipal Physical Planning Officer, engineers from the Hohoe Municipal Assembly, and officers from NADMO, are currently on the ground assessing affected communities. The team is documenting the extent of damage caused by the flooding, with the assessment expected to guide further interventions and measures to mitigate the impact of future flooding.
A Recurring Crisis
The Hohoe Municipality has a history of vulnerability to flooding. In 2012, torrential rains destroyed about 15 houses and displaced approximately 200 residents of the Zongo community. More recently, in June 2026, the Volta Regional Directorate of NADMO activated a comprehensive flood preparedness plan across five flood-prone districts in the region following heavy rains. At the time, officials noted that although the downpour caused limited impact in the Hohoe enclave, several communities located downstream experienced flooding due to rising water levels.
The municipality’s drainage infrastructure has been identified as inadequate, with open drains along the main highway and adjoining roads often choked at various points, impeding the free flow of storm water and leading to flooding in most neighbourhoods.
Broader Regional Context
The Hohoe flooding is part of a broader pattern of flood-related emergencies across the Volta Region. In mid-September 2026, acres of farmland in some communities within the Anloga District were submerged following rising floodwaters, triggering panic among farmers who depended entirely on their crops for their livelihoods. The Volta Basin has been identified by the Ghana Meteorological Agency as a region particularly susceptible to extreme precipitation events, with Ho, Hohoe, and surrounding areas regularly flagged in flood bulletins.
The combination of heavy rainfall, transboundary water flows from Togo, and inadequate drainage infrastructure has created a perfect storm of conditions that leave communities along the River Dayi increasingly vulnerable to devastating floods.
Appeal for Assistance
The MP has appealed to individuals, organisations, and other stakeholders to provide urgent support to help authorities provide shelter and other assistance to displaced residents. With the situation still evolving and water levels continuing to rise, the need for sustained emergency assistance remains pressing as authorities work to protect affected communities and prevent further loss of livelihoods.
The Hohoe flooding underscores the growing challenge of climate-related disasters in Ghana’s Volta Region, where communities along river basins face recurring threats to their homes, livelihoods, and safety. As emergency teams continue their assessment of the damage, the full scale of the disaster — and the long road to recovery for thousands of displaced residents — is only beginning to emerge.
